Robert brings ballroom to tears with tribute
Robert Irwin has broken down in tears as he paid tribute to his mother Terri and late father Steve on the US version of Dancing With The Stars.
Source: ABC TVÂ
The 21-year-old wildlife conservationist performed a contemporary routine set to Phil Collinsâ Youâll Be In My Heart for this weekâs Dedication Night episode.
As the dance came to a close, Terri stepped into the place of Irwinâs competition partner Witney Carson for the closing seconds of the performance.
Irwin gave his mum a gentle twirl and they embraced in a poignant moment.
The ballroom was brought to tears by the deep display of familial love.
âSheâs an absolute hero to me, because I was two when I lost dad,â he said during his intro package.
âAs I got older, [I] started to realise just how hard it would have been for her to be there for us, and all the while continue dadâs legacy that her and dad built together.â
Irwin started to cry, insisting he had ânever been able to capture the feeling of gratitude I feel for itâ.
âAt every milestone when I just wished that my dad was there, she was there. And that was enough,â he said.
Terri joined her son in the rehearsal room, and told him and it was and his sister Bindi who helped her cope with the heartbreak after the Crocodile Hunter legend died aged 44 in 2006.
âAfter we lost Steve, it was difficult to smile again. For quite a while,â she said.
âFor him to say, âYou lifted me up,â honestly, it was the opposite. Because of them, I could get up every morning. Every day Iâm a proud mama.â
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After the routine judge Derek Hough, who was a professional on the show and danced with Bindi 10 years ago when she won Dancing With The Stars, struggled to talk through tears.
Irwin told viewers and the audience that his dance was for his mother, as well as âall the mums out there who donât get the recognition they deserveâ.
âThis is for the single parents who work so hard every day to put one foot in front of the other,â he said.
âItâs for anyone whoâs lost, someone who feels lost â keep going. And if you can, go call your mum and tell her that you love her.â
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